BMS to oppose ILO clause

Thakkar said the Sangh was not essentially against the spirit of the clause8217; which helped protect the fundamental rights of the workers as well as rejected use of child labour but it wanted to ensure that the clause was not used as a lever by the WTO to squeeze out Indian entrepreneurs. 8220;We will definitely oppose our acceptance of the clause being misused for ulterior motives of other developing countries8221;, Thakkar said.

He claimed the Sangh had information that the clause was being imposed on India at the behest of the WTO, 8220;and this clearly means something more than just the social spirit of the clause.8221; Acceptance of clause brought for an altogether dubious purpose would 8220;amount to submission of our sovereignty to the World Trade Organisation,8221; he added. The ILO, he said, was likely to include it in the guise of a new name.

Thakker expressed his union8217;s inability to create a movement to tackle the contract and child labour problems in the industry back home in and around Vadodara for 8220;many of them have not become our members.8221; At the same time, he maintained that the union had a membership of 10,000 in this city, a fourth of the State8217;s membership.